The Macromolecules of Life

Cell Bio State Standards 1. What are the major compounds found in living organisms? What are their structures and functions? Bio Standard 1h a. How is each macromolecule made (what are their subunits)? b. What function does each compound serve for living organisms? c. Key terms to know: polysaccharide, nucleic acid, protein, lipid, i. Other terms to use: amino acids, polymer, fatty acids and glycerol, monomer, phosphate, monosaccharide, disaccharide, nucleotide, dehydration synthesis, hydrolysis.

Essential Questions What four compounds are all living organisms made of? What is the function of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and Nucleic Acids? How do these compounds get made and broken down?

Two Reactions: Dehydration Synthesis and Hydrolysis Dehydration Synthesis: How cells make things. Dehydrate: remove water. Synthesis put together. Must remove water to put pieces together. Make macromolecules (polymers) from simpler subunits (monomers). Hydrolysis: How cells break things down. Hydro: water Lysis: destroy or burst Process in which polymers are broken down into monomers by adding water.

Dehydration Synthesis Dehydration Synthesis: Remove water and put together monomers to make polymers.

Hydrolysis: reaction (rxn) that uses water to break down polymers to monomers. Protein + water = amino acid + amino acid Polymer + water = monomer + monomer

Most Macromolecules are Made of Many Subunits 4 macromolecules of life Carbohydrates, Lipids, Proteins, Nucleic Acids Macromolecules are polymers Monomers: simple subunits such as amino acids. Individual subunits are joined together to make polymers (poly = many, mer = units) Polymer is made of many monomers. Example: Several amino acids (monomers) put together makes a protein (polymer)

Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are also known as “sugars” Used for energy Subunit = monosaccharide Ex. Glucose 2 subunits (monosaccharides) = disaccharide (di = two) Ex. Lactose, Sucrose Many subunits = polysaccharides Ex. Starch, cellulose

are simple sugars (end in ose) Monosaccharides are simple sugars (end in ose) Examples: Glucose, found in sports drinks Fructose, found in fruit Honey contains both glucose and fructose Figure 3.8

Disaccharides two monosaccharides joined by dehydration synthesis Glucose Glucose Maltose Figure 3.11

Polysaccharides: many monosaccharides joined. Examples: Starch, Glycogen, Cellulose Glucose monomer Starch granules in potato tuber cells (a) Starch Glycogen Granules In muscle tissue (b) Glycogen Cellulose fibril in a plant cell wall Cellulose molecules (c) Cellulose Figure 3.13

Lipids Lipids: fats or waxy substances. Used for energy (9x carbohydrate per gram), insulation, cushioning and cell membranes Subunits: Created from glycerol and fatty acids

Phospholipids: make up a cell’s membrane Head: hydrophilic (hydro = water, phil = love) Tails: hydrophobic (hydro = water, phobia = fear)

Dietary fat consists largely of the molecule triglyceride Fats Dietary fat consists largely of the molecule triglyceride Fat Molecule= glycerol + three fatty acids Fatty acid Glycerol (a) Dehydration synthesis linking a fatty acid to glycerol Figure 3.15a

Which triglycerides are saturated below? (b) A fat molecule Figure 3.15B

Proteins Proteins: instrumental in virtually everything an organism does. Examples: Enzymes (make all other compounds), hair, cell structure, skin, blood. subunit = amino acids Amino acids are joined to form polypeptides or proteins Ex. Hemoglobin, collagen (skin), enzymes

Nucleic Acids Two types of Nucleic acids, DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) and RNA (Ribonucleic Acid), Function: store and transmit genetic information Subunit = nucleotides Four basic nucleotides in DNA: A,T, C, G

Essential Questions What four compounds are all living organisms made of? What is the function of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids? How do these compounds get made and broken down?

Cell Bio State Standards 1. What are the major compounds found in living organisms? What are their structures and functions? Bio Standard 1h a. How is each macromolecule made (what are their subunits)? b. What function does each compound serve for living organisms? c. Key terms to know: polysaccharide, nucleic acid, protein, lipid, i. Other terms to use: amino acids, polymer, fatty acids and glycerol, monomer, phosphate, monosaccharide, disaccharide, nucleotide, dehydration synthesis, hydrolysis.